Education First Consulting

Our team currently includes 12 coaches, of whom 7, or 58%, identify as BIPOC.

Education First partners with school systems to implement high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) and build coherent, equity-driven instructional systems. We coach district and school leaders to deepen their understanding of HQIM, lead change effectively, and create the structures necessary to support teachers. Our engagements include leadership PLCs, data-driven planning, site visits, and cross-functional collaboration to align academics, assessment, and support services. We tailor every partnership to the local context – centering culturally and linguistically affirming practices – and guide systems to move from fragmented efforts to coherent, student-centered implementation that results in improved access to grade-level instruction and better student outcomes.

Education First seeks to advance teaching and learning coherence across systems. We apply our experience as educators and system leaders to help build more coherent instructional systems grounded in bold academic strategy and curriculum based professional learning. In our HQIM focused system and leadership support, Education First:

• Guides school systems toward instructional coherence across core instruction, intervention and out-of-school learning to bring all students to grade-level standards
• Reimagines academic strategies, including the selection and use of high-quality instructional materials, evidence-based and culturally inclusive teaching practices, especially in literacy and mathematics
• Designs effective educator-support systems and structures, including curriculum-based professional learning

We teach our clients foundational practices to move from fragmentation to coherence, resulting in more equitable implementation of HQIM across the system. Our approach incorporates principles of equitable design to interrogate the root causes of poor implementation-centering the perspectives of students and families-and ensure that all students receive grade-level, culturally and linguistically affirming instruction. We push our clients’ mindsets on the impact HQIM and grade-level instruction can have on all students. And, we provide training on culturally and linguistically sustaining practices, starting with tools embedded in HQIM and supplementing with high-leverage research-based practices as needed.

Assessments are embedded throughout the course, including:

• 20-question untimed Knowledge Inventory (pre-assessment) following the course overview but preceding Tool 1 content
• 5-question untimed tests following Part 1 of each tool’s content (10 total)
• 10-question untimed tests following Part 2 of each tool’s content (10 total)
• 20-question untimed Knowledge Inventory (post-assessment) following completion of all course content.
• Participants must score at least 80 percent on each assessment to unlock content for the next Part or Tool in the course.

As an asynchronous course, participants can access Top 10 Tools whenever and wherever is convenient, including during the contractual school day.

Ongoing Implementation: Support for Leaders

Professional Learning: Science of Reading

• Traditional District
• Charter
• Private
• Parochial
• Urban
• Suburban
• Rural
• Fewer than 2,500 students
• 2,500 to 10,000 students
• 10,000 to 50,000 students
• 50,000 to 100,000 students
• More than 100,000 students
• Greater than 60% of economically disadvantaged students
• Greater than 20% of English language learners
• Greater than 20% of students with disability
• Greater than 80% students of color

Sample Scope and Sequence of Professional Learning Engagement